(first posted 10/28/2017) As I’m sure readers and contributors to CC know, there’s a whole lot of photoshopping going on out there in cyberland – it’s easy to fall prey to some fantastic looking photo only to find out after a little research that it was bogus. I’m pretty certain this one is legitimate – this is an Autotram Extra Grand and at 30.73 meters (100.8 ft) long, is currently the world’s longest bus.
The Autotram was developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Transportation and Infrastructure Systems, a German research organization. Actual production is by a consortium of German manufacturers including TU Wittur Electric Drive GmbH, who developed the drive engines, and Dresden-based M&P Motion, Control and Power Electronics GmbH, who contributed the vehicle’s computers and super capacitors. Overall assembly is by bus manufacturer Göppel Bus GmbH.
And it likely needs lots of computers – the Autotram is a hybrid vehicle; but with two diesel engines, a 6.0 L IVECO N60 (inline 6 cylinder) and a 4.0 L Mercedes OM629 (V8). The IVECO is the primary power plant that feeds the generator that runs two electric traction motors, and also sends some juice to be stored in super capacitors. The Mercedes sends its power to be stored in the system’s lithium-ion batteries. The bus can run in pure electric mode for 8km, before the engines cut in. You sure need some smart electronics to figure all that out…
The coach has five axles; axles 1, 3, 4 and 5 are steerable, giving this very long coach a much tighter turning radius than typical articulated buses.
Total capacity, seated and standing, is 256 passengers.
The bus was introduced in 2012, but it appears there have been few buyers. Two buses were bought for Shanghai and Beijing, and one was used as a demonstrator in Dresden. I couldn’t find any other users – perhaps because of the price – the demonstrator cost $10 million, and production models are supposedly around $1.5 million.
While not quite as large, most bus manufacturers today offer a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) bi-articulated model, at much lower cost. The Van Hool AGG330 above is 26 meters (81 ft) long and can hold 150 passengers – with a per-unit cost of around $250K. Volvo also has a model it markets in Brazil that is 98 ft and with reduced seats (more standing) can hold over 300 passengers – but if you want the longest, the AEG is your bus…
Wow! Seems pretty cool, However I’d feel for the driver, Port Authority (Pittsburgh) drivers have a hard enough time dealing with jagoffs in the back of non articulated busses, Imagine if those jagoffs are a half a mile away! ??
And imagine the size of the crane you’d (inevitably) need to rescue it from eventual misadventure…
Yes, but does it have a grand piano on the leisure deck?
Are you sure this thing isn`t a commuter train? It looks like it should be running on rails. Compare it to the Canada Rail tours ad at the end of the feature!
Very attractive design, that seems more than most cities needs, if they have a existing fleet of articulated buses, LRT, or subway network.
Amazing, never heard of this one before. Thanks!
This is really (as the name implies) a rail-less tram and would only work on special routs. In Haifa, Israel, they have the Metronit system in place, using long twin-unit articulated buses (about 2/3 in size of the Autotram) and they had to create separate lanes for the concept to work. I am therefore not surprised why they don’t sale. Purchasing the bus would be only the first step.
Here in Sao Paulo, Brazil, there is the Caio Induscar Millennium BRT, which is almost 27 meters long, and I still find them very ‘intimidating’, I can imagine how cool must be an even longer bus on the streets.
I can see it useful at airports where there is lots of wide open tarmac. You can fit a whole planeload of passengers in one trip rather than the mad rush to get on the first bus and grab some of that sweet sweet overhead luggage space.
My thoughts also. It would be pretty difficult to handle one of these on city streets, especially in Europe.
I could see something like this doing duty in Suburban Montreal, Vancouver-Kelowna, or Ottawa. This would be a rhymes-with-rich in Toronto, Quebec City or Halifax with the narrow streets, but as a regional cruiser, it could do good duty. And it’s the same with some US cities like New Orleans and St. Louis. Even Washington DC and Baltimore could do with this type of bus.
A hundred feet long and dual articulated chassis is one of those things you probably have to see in person to truely comprehend. The longest articulated bus in my area is “only” sixty feet long and feels more like a ship when passing by.
Put two of these together and “circle the wagons” takes on a whole new meaning. 😉
The idea of dedicated bus lane with large and long bus is much more attractive than subway, evaluating track and even street car type light rail, it is much easier to implement if political will is available. Many years ago I read in Scientific America that one of new Brazilian cities had such system, running a multi Volvo bus. The city planners pointed out it is more economical to build, you don’t need to dig, build a tunnel and stations, rail, power and signal systems. In US I noticed the Grey Line in LA Metro has the same concept, but it only uses a regular standard 40-foot ciy bus.